Browsing by Subject "Roads--Design and construction--Management"
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Item Construction production rate information system for highway projects(2005) Chong, Wai Kiong Oswald; O'Connor, James ThomasThe primary objective of this research study was to develop an improved production rate information system that incorporates production drivers. The improved production rate information system is intended to improve the accuracy of construction contract time determination for highway construction projects and to ease the estimation process. Foundation, sewerage and pre-cast retaining wall structures often lie on the critical path and the production rates and “drivers” of the production rates for these activities were examined for statistically significant relationships. Production rates affected by disruption(s) were also measured and relationships were modeled so that production rates could be properly adjusted. An user-friendly system, called the Highway Production Rate Information System (HyPRIS) was developed using Visual Basic.Item Highway earthwork and pavement production rates for construction time estimation(2004) Kuo, Yao-chen; O'Connor, James ThomasIn recent decades, the complexity and size of highway construction projects have increased dramatically. Because of this change, Contract Time estimates for most construction projects have been based on the critical path method (CPM). However, with the use of the CPM, many problems associated with unrealistic contract timing are encountered. In order to solve these problems, many transportation agencies have attempted to establish a standard process to estimate Contract Time with the belief that reasonable Contract Time estimation should rely on realistic Production Rates. Personal experience, historical records, and existing standards are usually used for Production Rates estimation. These sources are often unreliable because they do not include the effects of important drivers on Production Rates. Many studies on construction productivity have been conducted. However, most of them focus on cost management rather than construction time estimation. Little information is available on Production Rates for construction time estimation. This study is intended to be a reference tool for the highway construction industry to schedule and plan construction time. The purpose of this research study was to investigate the Production Rates of seven major Work Items in Earthwork- and Pavement-related construction. In addition, drivers that are known at the design stage and have a significant impact on Production Rates were identified and the effects of those drivers were quantified.Item Planning for strategic change in the project delivery strategy(2007) Migliaccio, Giovanni C. (Giovanni Ciro), 1968-; O'Connor, James Thomas; Gibson, G. Edward (George Edward), 1958-For organizations such as state departments of transportation, other public agencies, or private companies, adopting a new approach to procure services for delivery of construction projects requires significant organizational changes; modifications to both their work processes and existing organizational structures may be needed. These adjustments, encompassing many different aspects of the organization's interests, must occur for the change initiative to be successfully put into practice. In this research, the adoption of integrated project delivery methods within the transportation project sector is investigated to better understand the dynamics of this change. In the context of this study, an Owner's project delivery strategy is defined as the set of project delivery methods that are adopted for delivering capital projects. This dissertation presents findings from a study of Public Owner organizations that have implemented the designbuild method for delivering highway projects. Using as a case study the new $1.3 billion SH-130 tolled expressway project in Central Texas, the author analyzed project documentation and conducted many interviews with individuals affiliated with owner, legal, engineering consultants, and contractors. Findings suggest that project representatives institutionalize practices and routines connected to the new approach by adapting to new challenges, rather than "overwriting" previously existing practices. Similarly, the institutionalization of innovative approaches to project delivery happens concurrently with a deinstitutionalization of the previous approaches. Building upon these findings, a conceptual framework is presented for helping Owner organizations implement change in their project delivery strategy. The proposed conceptual framework is based upon both existing published literature and interviews with managers involved in implementing a strategic change in project delivery strategy. This framework was further refined by making a comparative study of four transportation projects in the United States. In addition, a detailed implementation framework was validated and further developed through a Delphi study with representatives from several organizations whose major responsibilities and experiences include the management of change in procurement approach. Findings from these studies, including application to the construction industry and other industries are presented.